Hi-Rez Studios announced the discontinuation of content updates for its online games Smite, Paladins, and Rogue Company, though the games will remain operational. The company plans to concentrate its resources on the development of Smite 2.
The decision follows significant workforce reductions at Hi-Rez Studios, which dismissed 69 employees this week, representing approximately half of its staff. According to a Discord message reported by Dexerto, the company attributed these layoffs to "challenging market conditions." The restructured team will dedicate its efforts exclusively to Smite 2, the third-person MOBA announced last year.
The company stated that servers and existing content for the affected games will continue to operate "for as long as possible." Smite, which launched in 2014, maintained a steady stream of updates throughout its lifespan. The online team-based first-person shooter Paladins debuted in 2015 and received its final major update in 2023. The hero shooter Rogue Company launched in 2020 but failed to achieve the same level of success as its predecessors.
The decision follows significant workforce reductions at Hi-Rez Studios, which dismissed 69 employees this week, representing approximately half of its staff. According to a Discord message reported by Dexerto, the company attributed these layoffs to "challenging market conditions." The restructured team will dedicate its efforts exclusively to Smite 2, the third-person MOBA announced last year.
The company stated that servers and existing content for the affected games will continue to operate "for as long as possible." Smite, which launched in 2014, maintained a steady stream of updates throughout its lifespan. The online team-based first-person shooter Paladins debuted in 2015 and received its final major update in 2023. The hero shooter Rogue Company launched in 2020 but failed to achieve the same level of success as its predecessors.
